Cape Breton Profile

Explore population, households, income, employment, education, commute, occupation, industry, languages, and dwellings for Cape Breton. Compare trends since 2016 and dig into the full profile below.

National Rank:64 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Cape Breton Population

Total Population (2021)

93,694

Total Population (2016)

94,285

Population Growth

-0.6% (-591)

Growth Rank

#599 of 688Same geo level

Male

47.9%44,885

Female

52.1%48,810

Male-to-Female Ratio

0.920

Average Age

46.9

Median Age

50.4

Age Rank

#562 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

3,385(3.6%)

5–9

3,960(4.2%)

10–14

4,400(4.7%)

15–19

4,490(4.8%)

20–24

5,090(5.4%)

25–29

5,310(5.7%)

30–34

4,790(5.1%)

35–39

4,660(5.0%)

40–44

4,785(5.1%)

45–49

5,385(5.7%)

50–54

6,035(6.4%)

55–59

7,775(8.3%)

60–64

8,605(9.2%)

65–69

8,095(8.6%)

70–74

6,645(7.1%)

75–79

4,430(4.7%)

80–84

2,995(3.2%)

85+

2,860(3.1%)

Cape Breton Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.2

Total Private Dwellings

46,471

Occupied Private Dwellings

42,316

Size Distribution

1 Person

14,055 (33.2%)

2 Persons

15,795 (37.3%)

3 Persons

6,430 (15.2%)

4 Persons

4,025 (9.5%)

5+ Persons

2,015 (4.8%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

7,390(17.5%)

Couples without children

11,015(26.0%)

One-parent families

5,490(13.0%)

One-person households

14,050(33.2%)

Multigenerational

1,135(2.7%)

Multiple-family

115(0.3%)

Cape Breton Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$65,800After tax

Median Household Income

$55,600After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$35,840After tax

Median Individual Income

$31,400After tax

Income Rank

#625 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

69.2%

Employment Income

54.8%

Government Transfers

30.9%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

6,045(7.8%)

$10k–$20k

10,725(13.8%)

$20k–$30k

16,380(21.1%)

$30k–$40k

12,025(15.5%)

$40k–$50k

9,770(12.6%)

$50k–$60k

6,930(8.9%)

$60k–$70k

4,645(6.0%)

$70k–$80k

3,135(4.0%)

$80k–$90k

2,335(3.0%)

$90k–$100k

1,925(2.5%)

$100k+

3,650(4.7%)

Cape Breton Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

41.7%

Unemployment Rate

19.5%

Total Labour Force

41,585

Employed

33,470

Unemployed

8,115

Not in Labour Force

38,675

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

17.4%

Children (0–17)

21.9%

Adults (18–64)

14.4%

Seniors (65+)

21.3%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.3150 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.273

Cape Breton Education

Highest certificate, diploma or degree for the population aged 15 and over, Census 2021. The highest-credential groups are mutually exclusive. Bachelor's degree, master's degree, and medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine sit inside “bachelor's degree or higher” and are not extra slices of the population. Shares are calculated on this site from the published counts. Statistics Canada randomly rounds census counts, so parts can miss the published total by a few people.

Highest credential

Population aged 15 and over

80,260

No certificate, diploma or degree

15,235 (19.0%)

High school diploma or equivalency

22,900 (28.5%)

Postsecondary credential

42,120 (52.5%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

9,440 (11.8%)68.3% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

2,310 (2.9%)16.7% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

425 (0.5%)3.1% of bachelor's or higher

Those credentials are published parts of bachelor's degree or higher. They do not add up to that count. Earned doctorates and other university credentials above the bachelor level stay inside the published total and are not separate columns in this extract.

Share of the population aged 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree

15,235(19.0%)

High school diploma or equivalency

22,900(28.5%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

8,720(10.9%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

17,150(21.4%)

University certificate below bachelor

2,425(3.0%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

13,830(17.2%)

Cape Breton Commute

Place of work for the employed labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021. Worked at home is the census count of people who worked at home, shown as a share of that employed labour force. Shares are calculated on this site from the published counts. Statistics Canada randomly rounds census counts, so parts can miss the published total by a few people.

Worked at home

12.4%

4,155 people

Share of 33,470 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

4,155(12.4%)

Usual place of work

24,605(73.5%)

No fixed workplace address

4,680(14.0%)

Worked outside Canada

30(0.1%)

Cape Breton Occupation

Broad category for the labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021, using the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021. Legislative and senior management is broad category 0, not every job with “manager” in the title. Shares use the published labour-force total. These categories do not add up to that total. Counts are randomly rounded, and people with no classified category stay in the published total. This page does not estimate that remainder.

Labour force

41,585

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

185(0.4%)

Business, finance and administration

5,595(13.5%)

Natural and applied sciences

1,465(3.5%)

Health

5,225(12.6%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

5,285(12.7%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

675(1.6%)

Sales and service

12,180(29.3%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

6,785(16.3%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

1,355(3.3%)

Manufacturing and utilities

1,205(2.9%)

Cape Breton Industry

Industry sector for the labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021. Shares use the published labour-force total. These categories do not add up to that total. Counts are randomly rounded, and people with no classified category stay in the published total. This page does not estimate that remainder.

Labour force

41,585

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

1,220(2.9%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

570(1.4%)

Utilities

405(1.0%)

Construction

3,070(7.4%)

Manufacturing

1,340(3.2%)

Wholesale trade

515(1.2%)

Retail trade

5,355(12.9%)

Transportation and warehousing

1,705(4.1%)

Information and cultural industries

375(0.9%)

Finance and insurance

735(1.8%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

320(0.8%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

1,485(3.6%)

Management of companies and enterprises

15(0.0%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

2,700(6.5%)

Educational services

3,135(7.5%)

Health care and social assistance

8,125(19.5%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

745(1.8%)

Accommodation and food services

3,035(7.3%)

Other services (except public administration)

1,590(3.8%)

Public administration

3,520(8.5%)

Cape Breton Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

88,160 (95.5%)

French Only

25 (0.0%)

English & French

3,995 (4.3%)

Neither

100 (0.1%)

Mother Tongue

English

87,805 (95.2%)

French

710 (0.8%)

Non-official languages

2,920 (3.2%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

87,805(95.2%)

French

710(0.8%)

Punjabi

635(0.7%)

Mandarin

375(0.4%)

Tagalog

175(0.2%)

Hindi

165(0.2%)

Arabic

85(0.1%)

Vietnamese

85(0.1%)

Gujarati

80(0.1%)

Urdu

65(0.1%)

Cape Breton Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

31,105(73.5%)

Semi-detached

2,815(6.7%)

Row house

705(1.7%)

Duplex

1,800(4.3%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

4,455(10.5%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

215(0.5%)

Other attached

65(0.2%)

Movable

1,155(2.7%)

Housing · Cape Breton (CA), N.S.

These figures are published for Cape Breton (CA), N.S., a census agglomeration, reference period 2021. They are not counts for Cape Breton alone. Shares are calculated on this site from the published household counts in tables 98-10-0252-01 and 98-10-0253-01.

Tenure

Private households

42,260

Owner households

30,045 (71.1%)

Renter households

12,215 (28.9%)

Owners with a mortgage

13,940 (46.4%)Share of owner households

Owners without a mortgage

16,100 (53.6%)Share of owner households

Renters in subsidized housing

2,950 (24.2%)Share of renter households

Renters not in subsidized housing

9,265 (75.8%)Share of renter households

Shelter costs

Median monthly shelter cost

$750All households, 2021

Average monthly shelter cost

$872All households, 2021

Owners, median

$710

Renters, median

$800

Owners with a mortgage, median

$1,200

Owners without a mortgage, median

$468

Spending 30% or more of income on shelter

6,815 (16.1%)Share of households

Owners spending 30% or more

2,880 (9.6%)Share of owner households

Renters spending 30% or more

3,930 (32.2%)Share of renter households

Shelter-cost ratio not applicable

35 (0.1%)

Monthly shelter cost

Published household counts by shelter-cost band. Census counts are randomly rounded, so the bands can differ slightly from the household total.

Less than $500

11,315(26.8%)

$500 to $749

9,465(22.4%)

$750 to $999

7,440(17.6%)

$1,000 to $1,249

5,815(13.8%)

$1,250 to $1,499

3,405(8.1%)

$1,500 to $1,999

3,105(7.3%)

$2,000 to $2,499

1,010(2.4%)

$2,500 to $2,999

465(1.1%)

$3,000 and over

235(0.6%)

Shelter cost is the census monthly amount. For owners it includes mortgage payments, property taxes and condominium fees, along with electricity, heat, water and other municipal services. For renters it includes rent and those utility payments when the tenant pays them. Current consumer prices are a separate series on the cost-of-living page. Data sources.

Community snapshot

About Cape Breton

Cape Breton Regional Municipality covers the industrial east end of Cape Breton Island, around Sydney Harbour. It was formed by amalgamating Sydney, Glace Bay, New Waterford, North Sydney, Louisbourg, and surrounding districts. Former steel and coal towns sit beside a working harbour and the restored Fortress of Louisbourg on the Atlantic shore. About 94,000 people live in the regional municipality.

Known for

Sydney Harbour and a former steel-and-coal industrial base
Amalgamated towns including Glace Bay and North Sydney
Fortress of Louisbourg on the Atlantic shore
Cape Breton fiddle and Gaelic cultural life
Marine Atlantic ferry terminal at North Sydney

See & do

Fortress of Louisbourg
Reconstructed 18th-century French fortified town.
Sydney boardwalk
Harbourfront promenade and cruise pavilion in downtown Sydney.
Cape Breton Miners Museum
Coal-mining museum and underground tour in Glace Bay.
Membertou Heritage Park
Mi’kmaw cultural interpretation in Membertou, adjoining Sydney.
Two Rivers Wildlife Park
Wildlife park in the Mira River area of the municipality.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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Data sources → Census profiles, housing tables, and consumer prices